Nicknamed ‘the Crystal Ball of Pop’ Interview magazine was established in October 1969, initially to review films. In his usual evasive and ironic fashion, Andy Warhol (1928–87) gave various accounts of the reason for the birth of Interview: it was to give his younger Factory friends ‘something to do’, or to contribute to his already active social life. (Warhol once commented, “I have a social disease. I have to go out every night”.)
Andy Warhol, 1928–87 / Interview magazine, April 1996, New York / Sophie Papas Collection, donated to the QAGOMA Research Library under the Cultural Gifts Program in memory of Sophie Papas, April 2009 / Collection: QAGOMA Research Library
Pop-inspired
The monthly magazine gradually morphed from an underground newsletter to a full-scale, large-format publication involving many talented photographers, editors and authors. Under Warhol’s casual direction, the magazine was pioneering in its bright, Pop-inspired format and in identifying underground cultures.
In the late 1970s, as Warhol frequented the Studio 54 nightclub along with other members of the international jet set, Interview became increasingly gossipy and sensationalist. Politicians, filmmakers, rock stars, fashion designers, literary figures and socialites — from Warhol himself to Mick Jagger, Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson and then First Lady, Nancy Reagan — appeared on the cover or within the magazine’s pages. Many of its interviews were between celebrities, in a question-and-answer form, providing intimate and often humorous insights.
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Featured image detail: Interview magazine, April 1996, New York
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